Gauging device



Jan. 1-6, 1945.

w. F. ALLER ETAL I GAUGING DEVICE Filed July 27, 1942 VJ INVENTOR. BY J Y Patented Jan. 16, 1945 H GAUGING DEVICE Willis Fay Aller and Louis J. Schulze, Dayton, Ohio, assignors to The Shefiield Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, at corporationof Ohio Application July 27, 1942, Serial'No. 452,446

4 Ca s; (01. 33-499) This invention relates to thread gauges.

' One object of the invention is the: provision of a'thread-snap gauge incorporating a pair of go gauging members arranged for relative adjustment on'a plurality of spaced arms of a supporting body, and by means of which both the diameter and pitch of "the thread is gauged 'to determine that the thread will enter a nut of predetermined construction, and also incorporatsides of the formed portion.

Another object of the invention is the provi sion of a thread snap gauge incorporating a stationary notched annularly ribbed thread gauging member which is stationary in a gauging opera-v tion and arranged for cooperation with an opposite roller to check a diametrical measurement of the thread. Another object of the invention is the provision of a thread snap gauge having a pair of no go gauging devices for measuring diameter only, one of these devices having only a single rib or formed portion cooperating with the thread to be gauged, while the other comprises a plurality of relatively rotatable collars arranged for limited axial relative movement to accommodate themselves to threads of slightly difierent pitch and thus avoid the influence of pitch on the diametrical measurement of the thread.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a thread snap gauge having go and no go gauging pairs of stationary. and rotatable devices, a gauging device of each pair being supported for eccentricadjustment by a simple and cheap arrangement requiring a minimum of parts. Q

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the' appended claims, and the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a thread snap gauge embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1 without cutting throughthe gauging devices; g

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3. Referring more particularly tothe drawing, in which the same-reference numerals have been used to designate like parts in the several views, l0 designates the body member of a thread snap gauge by means of which threads may be checked to determine if they are of the proper'size, both as to thread diameter and pitch. The body is provided with a pair of spaced. arms II and I2,

connected by the main body portion which is adapted to be grasped in the hand or to be held in a suitable fixed support. The spaced arms H and I2 are preferably U shaped in cross section as will be apparent from Fig. 2.

The arms and I2 carry a pair of go gauging members l3 and M and'a pair of no go gauging devices l5 and l6,'the first'pairmentioned being adapted to gauge both 'pitch and thread diameter to determine if the thread will enter a nut of predetermined construction, while the no 'go gauging devices are for checking the diameter quite independent of pitch, to make sure that the thread diameteris large enough so thatthe thread will not be loose' in the nut.

The go gauging member l3 comprises a roller having a body portion provided with a series of formed portions l'l arranged for coaction with a pair of adjacent surfaces on the thread to be gauged. 'As shown, these formed portions are annular ribs each rib being formed to enter the thread groove, the rib spacing .being such as to correspond to or be a multiple of the thread pitch. The'roller I3 is adapted for free rotation on a'pin l8 which is secured to the arm H by that the pin will be clamped tightly against the arm. The end of the'pin opposite to the bolt is preferably provided with a screw driver slot 23 to facilitate fixing the pin in the arm.

The opposing go member [4 is also provided with a series of ribs 24 integral with or fixed to the sleeve portion 25 which has a running fit on the pin 26, see Fig. 3. The opposite ends of the pin 26 fit into passages in the opposite porextending recess or groove 31 tions of the arm l2. At one end of the pin 26 where it fits in the arm l2 there is a shoulder 28 which clamps against one end of the sleeve 25 and holds the other end of the sleeve against the opposite end of the arm l2 so that the sleeve is held against rotation in a gauging operation. At 29 and 30 there is sufilcient clearance to insure an adequate clamping action of both the pin and the sleeve and hold all the parts against relative movement in any direction when the bolt 21 is tight.

The ribbed sleeve 25 is provided with an axially which extends through the annular ribs so that the ribs are cut away at one side of a plane extending through the axis of the .gauging member [3 and M. This provides a substantially radial plane surface 32 facing away from the handle portion of the body member so the operator can have a visual check on the threads of the part to be gauged and see how the threads contact with the ribs on the gauging member l4 in the gauging plane extending through the center of the threaded part gauged. While the gauging member l4 does not rotate in a gauging operation and there is thus some small relative friction and wear on this part; since the cooperating gauging member I3 is freely rotatable, the operator is enabled to hold the thread as he inserts it between the go gauging members so that it bears against the roller [3 and then it need notcontact at all with the stationary gauging member l4 unless the thread to be gauged is oversize and will not pass between the two gauging members. If some wear eventually does take place on the gauging portions of the member [4, the notch 3| may be extended deeper and the sleeve 25 so turned as to bring a new portion of the ribs into efiective operation.

One of the gauging'members of the go pair is eccentrically adjustable to vary the distance between these two gauging members, and as shown, it is the stationary gauging member 14 which is given this eccentric adjustment. For this purpose the supporting or bearing portions at the ends of the pin 26 are arranged concentric to one another but eccentric to the axis of the sleeve 25 and when the bolt 21 is loosened, the pin can be turned to the proper position It is then tightened in this position, with the sleeve 25 held so that the cut back surface 32 is substantially in the plane defined by the axes of the two gauging members. I

If the thread to be gauged passes between the two ,go gauging members there is assurance that the thread diameter and the thread pitch are such as to permit the thread to enter a standard nut of the required dimensions, and to make sure that the thread satisfies some minimum diameter requirement it is thenmoved further to see whether or not it will go between the no go gauging devices. The no go gaugingdevice l comprises a plurality of independent sleeves or collars 34, 35 and 36 which are all freely rotatable on the bearing portion 31 of pin 38, the opposite ends of the pin bearing in opposite side portions of the arm H as shown in Fig. 4. The axial length of these individual sleeves is such that some limited axial freedom of motion is provided with respect to one another and with respect to the pin 38 so that the sleeves can is tightened in the threads of the pin, the shoulder 42 of the pin will be clamped against the adjacentpart of the arm ll, holding the pin in a desired position. Each one of the three individual sleeves is provided with a single formed portion, such as a rib, each coacting with a pair of adjacent surfaces on the thread, as will be apparent from the drawing,

The opposing gauging device I6 comprises a sleeve 44 fitted with adequate operating clearance on the cylindrical portion 45 of pin 46. The pin 46 has opposite end portions that can rotate in the arm l2 when the bolt 41 is loose, but by tightening the bolt the larger end of the pin bears at its shoulder portion 48 on the end of the sleeve and clamps the sleeve at its other end to the arm I 2, as there is suflicient axial clearance at 49 and 50 so that this clamping action will be assured. The sleeve as well as the pin will thus be held against rotation in the gauging operation.

The sleeve 44 has a single formed portion for cooperation with adjacent thread surfaces, this formed portion, as shown, being an annular rib 51 the annular continuity of which is interrupted by a recess or groove 52 which provides for visual inspection by the operator substantially in a diametrical plane where the measurement is made. The view which the operator has of the thread and the gauging portion of the rib 5| is substantially the same as that indicated in Fig. 4, in which the thread to be gauged is indicated in dotted lines at 52.

One of the no go gauging devices is eccentrically adjustable for variation in its position-.

, able in a gauging operation, that is, the nonrotatable and eccentricallyadjustable go gaugaccommodate themselves to some limited extent, 4

ranged on the same arm so that the operator can hold the thread upwardly-as viewed in Fig. 1 or in other Words towards the rotatable members and relieve the nonrotatable members from frictional contact with the thread except where the thread will not pass by.

As will now be apparent, the construction is very simple, embodying a comparatively few parts which canbe readily made and easil assembled to provide a desired range of adjustment. The arrangementof the several gauging devices gives a very long life without undue wear and therefore with great'accuracy or reliability. The effective diameter of the thread is very accurately gauged by the no go" gauging devices as they are not at all effected by the pitch of the thread.

While the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes'may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A thread snap gauge comprising a body having a pairof spaced arms,-a pin carried by one of said -arms,-a--plurality of individual sleeves mounted for free rotation on said pin and free for individual limited axial movement thereon, each sleeve having a single annularly extending rib, a second pin carried by the other arm and held by said body at a fixed space from the first named pin, gauging means on said second pin and comprising only a single annularly extending rib, said gauging means having a recess extending parallel to the pin axis to provide a substantially radial surface extending through said rib and means for securing said gauging means to said other arm to prevent its rotation .in a gauging operation and with said radial surface arranged substantially in the plane defined by the axis of said sleeves and the axis of said second pin. r

2. A thread snap gauge comprising a body having a pair of spaced arms, a pin carried by one of said arms, a plurality of individual sleeves mounted for free rotation on said pin and free for individual limited axial movement thereon, each sleeve having a single annularly extending rib, a second pin having an eccentric end portion rotatably adjustable in the other arm about an axis having a fixed spacing from the axis of said first named pin, gauging means on said second pin for gauging diameter only and comprising only a single annularly extending rib, said gauging means having a recess extending parallel to the pin axis to provide a substantially radial surface extending through said rib and means for securing said gauging means to said other arm to prevent its rotation in a gauging operation.

3. A thread snap gauge comprising a body having a pair of spaced arms, a pincarried by one of said arms, a plurality of individual sleeves mounted for free rotation on said pinandfree for individual limtied axial movement thereon, each sleeve having a single annularly extending formed portion for coaction with a pair of successive threaded surfaces on a thread to be gauged, a second pin carried by the other arm, means fixing said second pin against rotation, gauging means on said'second pin and comprising only ia-single annularly extending formedportion for coaction with a pair of successive threaded surfaces on'a thread to begauged, said gauging means having a recess extending parallel to the pin axis to provide a substantially radial surface extending through said formed portion, means for clamping a side of said gauging means to prevent its rotation in a gauging operation, and means for eccentrically adjusting one of said pins to vary the spacing between the sleeves and the gauging means.

4. A thread snap gauge comprising a body having a pair of spaced arms, a pair of go gauging members mounted one on each arm, one of said gauging members comprising a roller having a series of annular ribs and a pin fixed against rotation on an arm and rotatably supporting said roller for rotation about a fixed axis, the other gauging member comprising a sleeve having a series of annular ribs and a pin having eccentric end portions adjustably supported on the other arm for variation of the spacing between the two gauging members and clamping said sleeve to such other arm in fixed position, said sleeve having a recess extending parallel to the sleeve axis and providing a substantially radial surface extending substantially in a plane through the axis of the roller and of the sleeve, a pair of no go gauging devices arranged one on each of said arms one of which comprises a pin mounted at its end portions on one of said arms and a seriesjof individual collars rotatable on the pin and each provided with a single annularly extending formed portion for coaction with a pair of adjacent thread surfaces on a thread to be gauged, said collars being free for very limited axial movement with respect to one another and with respect to the pin, and the other no go gauging device comprising a fixe'd eccentrically adjustable gauging member having one annularly extending formed portion for coaction with a pair of adjacent thread surfaces on the thread to be gauged, and having a recess interrupting the annular continuity of said formed portion at one side of a plane substantially through the axes of the no go gauging devices. I

' WILLIS FAY ALLER.

LOUIS J. SCHULZE. 

